Collapsible and portable barbecue or cooking device



Feb. 28, 1967 s, HOE EL 3,306,281

COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE BARBECUE OR COOKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1964Z we; 6.1909152! 0 MAX PM, KRAUS ATTY United States Patent Gfifice3,306,281 COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE BARBECUE OR COOKING DEVICE William S.Hoebel, Long Grove, 111., assignor to Johnson-Stuart Company, Skokie,Ill. Filed Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,706 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-25) Thisinvention relates to improvements in a collapsible and portable banbecueor cooking device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a barbecuing orcooking device which is collapsible to occupy a minimum of space, whichis light in weight and of a compact size as to be readily carried ortransported by a person, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture,and which -is highly efficient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a barbecue or cookingdevice comprising a gridiron or grating with pivotally mounted legs atthe opposite ends of said gridiron, which legs may be readily positionedin extended position to support the gridiron for barbecuing or may bereadily collapsed adjacent the gridiron to occupy a minimum of space,and in which the fuel pan is supported by the legs in their extendedposition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of theforegoing character in which, when the supporting legs are in acollapsed position, the gridiron and legs may be positioned within thefuel pan so that the overall dimensions of the device when packagedand/or stored is within the dimensions and confines of the fuel pan.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device aforedescribedwhich has a handle readily attachable to the fuel pan.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention set up inposition for barbecuing or cooking.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the legs supporting thegridiron in collapsed position, with the gridiron positioned within thefuel pan, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The gridiron or grating is generally designated by the numeral and isformed of a pair of spaced longitudinally extending wire or rod members12 and a plurality of spaced transversely extending wire members 14which have been welded or otherwise secured thereto. Pivotally securedto the opposite ends of the gridiron are leg or supporting members,generally designated by the numeral 16.

Each leg member 16 is formed of a single strip of wire bent to theconfiguration shown. As viewed from its supporting position shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, each leg member has a substantially straight intermediateside portion 18, a rounded bend portion 20 which continues inwardly andangularly upward to form a lower side portion 22 and is then bentinwardly to form a transverse portion 24 connecting the two spacedsides. Extending upwardly and angularly inward from the intermediateside portion 18 is the upper side portion 26 which is curved or loopedto form a hook portion 28. The hook portions 28 are pivotally secured tothe transverse wire members 14a whichare adjacent the outermost wiremembers 14b. This connecting arrangement permits the leg members to hepivoted inwardly in a collapsed position, as shown in 3,306,281 PatentedFeb. 28, 1967 FIGS. 4 and 5, whereby the transverse connecting portion24 of the leg is adjacent the gridiron. In this position the legs occupya minimum amount of space for the purpose to be hereinafter described.It also permits the legs to be readily pivoted to extended or upright orleg supporting position, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to support thegridiron or grating 10 in position for barbecuing. In the extendedposition the upper side portion 26 of the leg will rest and engage theend transverse wire 14b to limit the outward pivoting movement of saidlegs so that said legs cannot collapse outwardly when they are in legsupporting position.

The fuel pan for supporting the charcoal, fuel, or the .like, is ofrectangular shape and is designated generally by the numeral 30. Thebottom 32 of the pan is provided with a pair of spaced transverselyextending recesses or indentations, designated by the numeral 34,adjacent the opposite ends of the pan. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thefuel pan 30 is adapted to rest on the transverse portions 24 of thelegs, with the transverse portions nested within the transverseidentat-ions 34 of the pan to position the pan and to maintain it in asecure position and keep it from being accidentally dislodged. The pan,however, may be readily removed from the supporting legs by lifting sameso that the legs may be collapsed.

For the purpose of readily engaging the pan there is provided aremovable handle, designated by the numeral 36, which is formed of awire or the like, having a substantially U-shaped portion 38 whichterminates in offset L-shaped ends having vertical portions 39 andforwardly extending horizontal portions 40. The bottom wall 32 of thepan 30 is provided with a pair of spaced openings 42 and the side wall44 of the pan adjacent said openings is provided with V-shaped recessesor cutouts 46. The handle 36 is secured to said pan by inserting theL-shaped ends through the openings 42 and then positioning the handle asshown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in which the horizontal portions 40 of thehandle are positioned horizontally underneath the bottom 32 of the pan,with the vertically extending portions 39 adjacent the inside of theside wall 44 and the U-shaped portion 38 extending outwardly of the panto be manually engaged. In this manner the pan may be moved and handledby the person, yet, the handle may be readily removed from the pan bymanipulating the handle so that the ends 40 of the handle are withdrawnthrough the openings 42.

A feature of this invention is the construction of the device in such amanner that it can he collapsed to occupy a minimum of space and becontained within the confines of the fuel pan. This is best shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 in which the legs 16 are positioned in a collapsedposition and the gridiron and legs are positioned to be confined andcontained within the pan 30, as shown in said figures. For example, onecommercial embodiment of this invention is a construction in which thefuel pan 30 is approximately 16 inches by 11 inches, with the height ofthe side Walls of the pan approximately 1 /2 inches. Within thesedimensions the gridiron which has an overall length and width dimensionslightly less than that of the pan may be positioned so that it iswholly confined and contained within the pan, as shown.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to theaforementioned dimensions but the foregoing is mentioned as arepresentative embodiment of the concept. In such collapsed conditionthe handle 36 is likewise positioned within the pan wholly within theconfines of the sides and top.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madefrom the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible barbecuing device comprising a gridi- Ion formed of aplurality of spaced longitudinally and transversely extending wiremembers, a leg member pivotally secured to said gridiron adjacent eachof the opposite ends of said gridiron, each said leg member formed of asingle strip of wire bent and shaped to form a pair of spaced sidemembers and a transverse member connecting said side members, each saidside member having an upper, an intermediate, and a lower portion, withthe upper portion having a looped terminal engaging a transverselyextending wire member inwardly of the end thereof pivotally connectingsaid leg to the gridiron, said intermediate portion forming an obtuseangle with said upper portion, said lower portion extending inwardly andangularly upward of the intermediate portion and with the transversemember extending above the bottom of the intermediate portion, a fuelpan supported between said legs and on said transverse member of saidlegs, said pan being removably positioned on said legs to permitcollapsing of said legs with respect to said gridiron.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the pan is 4 provided with atransverse groove adjacent each of the opposite ends thereof to engagethe transverse member of each of said leg members.

3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the side members of the legare inwardly of the longitudinally extendin-g wire members which formthe border of the gridiron and when the leg members are in collapsedposition the transverse connecting members of the leg are positionedbetween certain of the transversely extending wire members of thegridiron to permit the gridiron to be confined and contained within thepan.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,199,257 9/1916Ferdon. 2,122,275 6/ 1938 Bitney 12625 2,780,215 2/1957 Vacanti 12625 XFREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner.

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BARBECUING DEVICE COMPRISING A GRIDIRON FORMED OF APLURALITY OF SPACED LONGITUDINALLY AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WIREMEMBERS, A LEG MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID GRIDIRON ADJACENT EACHOF THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID GRIDIRON, EACH SAID LEG MEMBER FORMED OF ASINGLE STRIP OF WIRE BENT AND SHAPED TO FORM A PAIR OF SPACED SIDEMEMBERS AND A TRANSVERSE MEMBER CONNECTING SAID SIDE MEMBERS, EACH SAIDSIDE MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER, AN INTERMEDIATE, AND A LOWER PORTION, WITHTHE UPPER PORTION HAVING A LOOPED TERMINAL ENGAGING A TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING WIRE MEMBER INWARDLY OF THE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTINGSAID LEG TO THE GRIDIRON, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION FORMING AN OBTUSEANGLE WITH SAID UPPER PORTION, SAID LOWER PORTION EXTENDING INWARDLY ANDANGULARLY UPWARD OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND WITH THE TRANSVERSEMEMBER EXTENDING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION, A FUELPAN SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID LEGS AND ON SAID TRANSVERSE MEMBER OF SAIDLEGS, SAID PAN BEING REMOVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID LEGS TO PERMITCOLLAPSING OF SAID LEGS WITH RESPECT TO SAID GRIDIRON.